Washing-machine.



No. 724,558. *PATE TED: APR; 1903..

- M; J.- DUNN 1 WASHING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED 001. 6. 19.02.

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PATENTEDFIAPR. 1903; M. J. DUNN.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 6. 1902,.

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7 -UN TED STATES -ATENTi @FFICE.

MICHAEL J. DUNN, OF POTTSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

WASHING- MACHINE.

SIECIFICATION' forming part of Letters Patent No. 724,558, dated April'7, 1 903.

Applicationffiled October 6, 1902.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL J. DUNN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pottsville, in the county of Schuylkill and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWashing-Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in washing-machines,andparticularly to operating mechanism for such machines.

The object of the invention is to provide a clothes-washing attachmentfor wash-tubs whereby a tub of ordinary form may be employed as thesuds-box of the machine and to provide simple and effective means foroperating an oscillating agitator:

'With this and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts,as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a tubequipped'with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of. the same.Fig. 3 is a vertical section. Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing amodification. I

1 in thedrawings denotes an ordinary washtub provided with aperturedhandles 2, and 3 denotes the base or support ofthe washing mechanism,which rests upon the upper edge of the tub and is formed with recesses 4at its ends to receive the handles and provided with sliding bolts 5 toproject into the openings in the handles and lock the support thereto.The tub may be provided with a corrugated bottom lining 6.

7 denotes a corrugatedoscillatory agitator carried by a rectangularshaft 8, extending through the support and carrying at its upper end anoperating-handle 9. Fixed to the support is an internally-threadedsocket 10, in which operates a screw-threaded sleeve 11, through whichpasses the shaft 8, the opening in the sleeve being of rectangular formto correspond to the shaft and cause the shaft to be locked to thesleeve against independent rotation while adapting said shaft Serial No.126,186. (No model.)

to slide in said sleeve. The sleeve is provided at its upper end with ahead 12, formed on opposite sides with lateral cars 13, apertured toreceive the hooked ends of diagonal springs 14, connected at theiropposite ends to-screw-eyes 15 on the base 3. The lower end-of thesleeve terminates in an attachingflange 16, which is bolted or otherwisesuitably fastened to the base 3 and provided with offstanding ears 17for a purpose hereinafter described.

In operation the handle 9 is turned to partially rotate the shaft 8 inone direction, whereby the sleeve is screwed down into the socket,carrying with it the shaft, which is held from sliding upward in thesleeve under the resistance of the clothes by the pressure of theoperator on the handle 9, by which such rotary movement of the shaft iscaused to simultaneously turn the agitator in one direction and force itdown in contact with the clothes, giving a rubbing action and pressureon the clothes at one and the same time. Ohviously this pressure may bevaried by the operator giving a greater extentof downward movement tothe agitator by exerting pressure to slide the shaft down in the sleeve.The turning of the shaft is accomplished against the resistance of thesprings, whichassist by their reaction in effecting a quick reverserotation of the shaft and upward vmovement of the sleeve in its socket,where- 'by the pressure of the agitator on the clothes is diminished anda reverse easy rubbing action takes place. In this direction of movementof the sleeve the operator may also vary the pressure on the clothes asdesired by resisting the upward movement of the shaft. Of course it willbe understood that the shaft may fit so tightly in the sleeve as torequire a preliminary downward pressure on the shaft to bring theagitator into contact with the clothes, after which the shaft may beturned to secure the down ward pressure and rubbing action, as beforedescribed, or the shaft may be loose enough to allow the agitator todrop down into contact with the clothes when the mechanism is applied tothe tub, thus obviating the necessity of manually giving the shaft suchpreliminary downward movement.

Instead of employing the springs 14 I may employ a spiral spring 14,surrounding the socket and hooked at its ends to the ears 13 and 17, asshown in Fig. 4, whereby the same spring-reversing action will beobtained in a manner readily understood.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings,

ed sleeve operated by the shaft and adjustable on the threads of thesocket, and means for opposing the rotation of said sleeve and returningthe same and shaft to their normal positions, substantially asdescribed.

2. Washing mechanism comprising a support, an oscillating agitator, aninternallythreaded socket carried by the said support, a shaft carryingthe agitator, a screw-threaded sleeve operated by the shaft and engagingthe threads of the socket, and springs connecting the base and sleeve toresist rotation of the latter and return it to its normal position,substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

MICHAEL J. DUNN.

Witnesses:

EDW. L. LONG, MARTIN F. DUFFY.

